Dr. Waldren: Balancing Work and Family to Success

Dr. Jennifer Waldren knew surgery was for her from an early age. In school, her teacher told her she “had the hands of a surgeon.” At home, her father was a dentist and her mother was a surgical nurse, so she had the inspiration and support from her parents to seek her dreams. She attended University of Texas at Austin to receive her BS in Biology and University of Texas at Galveston to receive her MD. After completing her residency, she moved to New York, she was selected to complete an aesthetic surgery fellowship at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. During her stay in New York, she became an associate of Dr. Sherrell Aston and stayed for eight years.

A life changing decision brought her back to Texas: Waldren decided to be a mother. She moved back to Austin in 2011 with her twin boys to ensure they were closer to family. Her sons have helped her learn that she needs to do a balancing act between running a practice and being a single mom. The demands of being a surgeon and a single mom are not easy, but Waldren is prepared. She has hired a full time nanny and au pair, and she has enrolled the boys in a school close by. Her move back to Austin helped her to advance her career, because she is now one of the top aesthetic plastic surgeons in Texas.

Being a female doctor in her field is a rarity, there are 8100 board certified plastic surgeons and of those only 851 are women. To be recognize as the top in her field, she takes that with great pride. The balancing she must do to run an effective, cutting-edge practice and a happy household as led her to great success, earning her the nickname of “Wonder Woman.”